Just an Ordinary Wedding Day
by rosewarren
Summary: How to plan a wedding in the midst of an alien invasion. Just what it says on the tin. Rose and her Doctor attempt to live an ordinary, domestic life. Easier said than done with something dangerous on the horizon.
1. Chapter 1

"So we're having roast beef, because that's what my mother wants to serve," Anna finishes. "Can you imagine?"

The Doctor blinks and clears his throat, caught by surprise. "No," he says honestly, straightening up in his seat. "I can't."

Anna eyes him suspiciously before pushing the button that will start the computer program.

"I really can't!" he protests.

"What about you, then? What are you going to serve?"

They're in Anna's lab, running some tests on a small alien device that may or may not be useful. The Doctor had built a scanner to help narrow down the device's origin, and Anna was there to feed in the parameters of the search. As they started she had begun talking about her wedding plans, and that was all the Doctor knew for the next thirty minutes or so.

Thirty-two minutes, seventeen seconds, actually.

"Serve at what?" he asks in genuine confusion. "At your wedding?"

"No, idiot. At your wedding. To Rose," she adds just in case he needs more clarification.

"I don't know," he says slowly. "We're just getting married."

"But what about the reception after? Have you decided?"

"No," he says, confusion growing in leaps and bounds.

"Well, what have you two been doing? It's been a week already. By this time my mother had already booked the hotel and my father had chosen the wine to be served."

"Er, we've been working," the Doctor says, thinking back to what he's been doing. Working, really, getting their new house ready to move into. Nothing else to speak of.

"But you've been making plans, right? For the wedding?"

Has he? They've talked about what an adventure getting married will be, but he's been called to the university four nights so far to work on a certain problem with a matter generator that wasn't functioning, and Rose was left on her own. The other nights they were choosing paint for the house.

"I haven't been, I guess," he admits, running his hand through his hair. "Am I supposed to? I was just planning on having someone talk over us. You know. Read the wedding service, pronounce us married?"

Anna shakes her head as the computer printer starts to print out information. "I'd have a talk with Rose if I were you."

* * *

Rose is feeling tense and hurried. Her mum is calling her at least four times a day about the wedding - the wedding that Rose has yet to really think about because they just bought a house that needs some work and work itself has gotten very busy and very complicated.

"We're not saying the timelines are off or anything," Pete tells her in the Control room. "But something strange is going on. Here." On the large computer screen, he points out a trail of stardust or smoke or space residue that is trailing across the solar system.

"What is it?" Rose peers closer at the screen, trying to follow it.

"I don't know. It might be nothing at all."

"But we need to find out," Jake finishes for Pete.

"Yes."

Jake glances at Rose. "Where's the Doctor?"

"He's working on the alien device we found."

"Have him come down here," Pete tells her. "We need this taken care of first."

* * *

Two long nights later nothing has been discovered about the trail of stardust, and they're no close to a solution.

"I could build something," the Doctor suggests, reading through computer reports covered with mathematical figures and equations. "We could try to retrieve some of whatever it is and study it that way."

Jake looks up from his own computer readings. "Can you do that?" he asks interestedly.

"Margaret's already trying that," Rose points out.

The Doctor wrinkles his brow. "Is she up to the task?"

"She built the dimension cannon," Rose says with some asperity.

He levels a look at her. He's still not pleased that she risked her life that way.

"Margaret's good," Jake says.

"It's coming in closer," Rose says quietly. "Closer to Earth. We may not have a chance to use whatever Margaret is making."

Two days after that Margaret's machine is ready and is launched into space at Torchwood in the dead of night. This serves to both help them find the stuff - easier to do when the sky is dark- and gives them as much cover as possible for the operation.

"That's it, then," Pete says, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "We wait for the readings to come back. If it's alien, we'll know it."

Rose is still kneeling by the launch pad, tracing the path of their device in the sky. "How long before it reaches whatever it is?"

"Ninety-three hours," the Doctor answers. "Let's go home."

"Control will monitor it tonight," Pete says. "You can check in in the morning."

* * *

The next morning the Doctor brings up something that's been on his mind for a while now.

"We're getting married," he states. "I asked you to marry me and you said yes."

Rose looks at him over her glass of orange juice. "Yes," she says cautiously. "I did. Change your mind?"

"No, of course not. But I was talking to Anna, and she seems to think that Earth weddings are a big event. A very big event. Is that right?"

"What, you've never been to an Earth wedding?"

"Lots of other species, of course, different planets, different time periods. But not here and now, of course, on this world."

Rose puts down her glass and looks thoughtfully into the distance of the kitchen. "Same as back home, as near as I can tell," she says finally.

"Should we think about that, then?" he suggests. "I don't want to wait a long time."

"I don't, either," she agrees swiftly. "But between the movie and the house and now this alien stuff at work, I haven't had time to think about it much yet."

As if on cue, Rose's mobile rings. She looks at the display and rolls her eyes. "It's Mum."

"I'm not here," he says quickly, and retreats to the guest room to check on the baby TARDIS.

"Coward," she calls after him. "Hi, Mum."

"Rose, we have to talk. I haven't got any idea what you want or what you've got planned, and we need to get started."

Rose gives in. It was inevitable. "Okay, Mum. We'll see you soon, 'kay? We can talk all about it."

Hanging up, she finds the Doctor talking to the TARDIS, encouraging it to grow.

"She's doing really well," he says, proud as any new father. "She's growing. Soon as we get her in place I can start building the circuits and the control console."

Rose glances around at the electronics and wires that are stacked up in the room. "I thought that was what this is for?"

"Oh, it is. I'm waiting until we're in place so I don't have to move anything. Right pain, that is."

Rose looks down at the TARDIS. A lump of orange coral, still growing in Tony's old cot. It is slowly absorbing a nutrient-filled liquid that the Doctor has mixed together. It's a cross between pink and orange, and Rose thinks the color of the liquid is being absorbed by the coral.

"No," the Doctor says in response to her observation. "She'll get more pink as she grows. That's a sign that everything's healthy."

"Mum wants to see us. To plan the wedding."

"There's not to much to plan, is there?" He can't help but feel slightly alarmed. "Anna's wedding sounds like a social event."

"Anna's is," Rose agrees. "Don't worry. I won't let Mum take over."

"She'd better not."

* * *

In the end Jackie gets him, just as she always does.

"Something simple." Rose says. "With our friends there. No big party. No one we don't know."

"Something fast," the Doctor adds. Having gotten Rose to agree to marry him, he's not about to wait too long. He knows too well what can happen if you put things off for too long. You end up missing your chance.

"This doesn't sound like a wedding," Jackie complains as she stops writing notes in her notebook and points her pen accusingly at Rose. "A wedding is supposed to be a celebration."

"Not for five hundred of Dad's closest friends," Rose points out.

Jackie throws a guilty look at the quick guest list she's made up. "I'm not saying we have to invite all those people."

Rose looks at her mother and waits. "This isn't about the presents, is it?"

"Presents?" the Doctor asks, speaking up for perhaps the second time since they arrived at Pete and Jackie's that morning.

"People give you presents when you get married," Jackie explains. "Gifts, money, oh, you know!" She frowns at him, like she's cross that he can't manage this simple human custom.

"Of course. Wedding presents." The Doctor glances at Pete, seeing him with a vase in his hand. He quickly shakes his head to be rid of the image. "I like presents as much as anyone, but it seems a bit much to invite people just so they can give us monetary goods."

Exasperated, Jackie sets down her pen. "It's not about wedding presents! You don't want a wedding announcement in the papers-"

"I'm in the papers enough as it is!" Rose complains.

"You don't want a wedding coordinator," Jackie continues.

"We don't need a coordinator for a small wedding," the Doctor says.

"You're so busy right now!" Jackie protests. "You haven't had a moment to think about this, have you?"

"Work is a bit hectic right now," Rose says.

"We don't need to have very much free time," the Doctor adds. "Not to plan something like this."

"We've already told you we would pay for everything," Jackie continues.

"Mum! No. We don't need you to pay for any of it!"

"We want to, Rose," Pete says in a quiet voice. "You're our daughter."

"I always pictured Rose getting married in a church," Jackie says wistfully. "Long white dress and flowers, all our friends round."

"Sorry, Mum, but no."

"Your dad and me didn't have a big wedding," Jackie continues. "Either time." She looks at Pete and takes his hand. He squeezes her hand in response. When Jackie came to this world, returned from the dead, they had a small ceremony ostensibly renewing their vows, while marrying them in actuality, something Jackie had deemed necessary when she realized she was pregnant.

"Exactly. Big weddings are not important." Rose looks to the Doctor for confirmation. "We want something small."

"It won't be the same," Jackie murmurs. "Not seeing you walk down the aisle."

"Something small at the registry office," Rose says.

It's what Jackie doesn't say that makes it obvious to the Doctor how much this does mean to her. Without saying another word, she sighs and closes her notebook, showing how much she loves Rose by abandoning her plans.

They're sitting in the back garden of the mansion. It's a beautiful day, sunny and breezy, and they're finishing up a brunch meal of eggs, fruit and muffins. Jackie sips her juice and changes the subject.

Rose nods once, satisfied. She's given in to her mum a lot in her life, and really, on her wedding day she ought to be able to decide how it will be. She looks at the Doctor for his agreement.

But it's too late. The Doctor, in this human form, is powerless to resist.

"Well, there's nothing _wrong_ with a big wedding, Rose, is there?"

Rose, Jackie and Pete all look at him in surprise.

"Sorry?" Rose asks politely, not sure she's heard him correctly.

"We need to get married either way. If your parents really want to arrange it all and, er, pay for it..." His voice trails off at the look Rose is giving him.

"Oh, it will be lovely!" Jackie cries happily. "Just wait and see!"

This means he's caught directly between the Tyler women, not a place any sane man would want to be.

Rose narrows her eyes at him, silently promising to make him pay.

Pete wisely says nothing at all. He does not usually interfere with Jackie and Rose, and this wise policy has saved him numerous times in the past.

* * *

"We didn't want anything big and fancy!" Rose protests that night when they get home. "What are you thinking?"

He stops in the act of packing up some boxes to take to the house they just bought.

"What's wrong with a wedding?" he asks her instead. "It'll be fun, it'll make your mum happy."

"But I don't _want_ a big do!" she complains.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not me. It's not us."

He sits down on the bed beside her and wraps his arm around her.

"It's not just you and me anymore, is it?" he says quietly. "We have your family and we have Torchwood and we have friends all over the place. We owe it to them to share this with them."

"Have you been watching Dr. Phil again?"

"No. Well, maybe. Once in a while, during the nightly reruns when you're sleeping."

"Why is this what you want now?" Rose asks. "This morning you wanted to elope."

He smiles at her. "That's because I want to marry you as soon as I can."

Rose waits.

He smiles slyly. "You were very pretty in the dress you wore for Sam's movie. Maybe I'd like to see you all dressed up again."

"You've seen me dressed up before."

"Yeah, but this would be different. And anyway, does it matter?" he asks her, smiling winningly. "We let your mum have her way, get married, and skip the dancing afterwards."

She arches a brow at that. "You sure you want to skip the dancing?"

"Stop that," he says repressively.

She shifts from side to side, smiling the smile that drives him crazy, with her tongue poking out from between her teeth. "Thought you liked to dance."

"Oh, I do," he assures her. "I do. It's one of the best things about being human."

Rose's expression changes to one of no humor at all. "Then why are you letting my mother control our wedding? We should be the ones in charge."

"I thought we were in charge."

"The minute you showed a weakness she pounced! Now we'll have some awful catered affair filled with people we don't even know."

"So it's Jackie's party. So what?"

"So, you hate my mum's parties."

"It won't kill us this once."

Rose gets suspicious. "You don't plan on being there very long, do you?"

He draws her close so he can bury his face in her hair. "Not," he says, "when there'll be a honeymoon to get to."

* * *

The Doctor relents because Jackie wanted it, and Rose relents because the Doctor wanted it. On one thing Rose will not budge. The wedding will be in six weeks. Anna and Ian are planning a wedding that won't take place for a year. She has no intention of waiting that long. She's waited long enough.

Jackie inundates them with brochures and photos and menus. She faxes Rose details of wedding dresses at work and comes by after dinner one night so they can pick out wedding invitations.

"Is this really necessary?" the Doctor asks, forced to sit down and look through a large book of nearly-identical wedding invitations.

"Do you want me to choose?" Jackie asks innocently. "I was thinking of this one." She shows him a dog-eared page with a white card encircled. The lettering is in pink, and there are small angels in the corner.

The Doctor sits back, revolted. "Never."

"Then pick one."

Rose reaches for the book. "I'll do it," she says with little grace. She flips the book open at random, closes her eyes, and points. When she opens them they're all staring at a plain white card with silver lettering. There are no angels on it.

The Doctor peers over at it, sliding his glasses on to see it better.

"Now that's a bit plain," he complains.

"You'd rather have the angels?"

"Let me see." He takes the book and starts flipping through the pages, his Time Lord acuity making him go much faster than Rose.

Jackie folds her arms, satisfied that they're taking the appropriate interest in the affair.

"Here." He points to a blue card with brown lettering. There is a small brown owl on the top.

Rose and Jackie look from the card he's pointing to to each other and then to him.

"You're mad," Jackie says pityingly.

"What is that?" Roe asks. "That's never something for a wedding."

"Maybe a baby shower?" Jackie suggests.

In the end they go with Rose's choice. Jackie has already composed the wording and takes the book off to the stationer's.

Rose sits and watches the Doctor sulk.

"You really can't choose something because it reminds you of your old suit, you know," she says gently.

"Well, it was better than her angels."

"Do you still want to go through with this?" she asks.

He sighs and slumps against the table, resting his head on his hand. "Bit late now, isn't it?"

"Yep," Rose says, popping her p like he likes to do. "But at least she's paying for it."

Rose submits to three bridal showers. One for the women at Torchwood and at Sam's movie studio, one for Vitex employees, and one just for her girlfriends. This is the most mortifying one of all, because her mum has made it a lingerie shower.

"I'm having fun!" Riley says happily, sitting down beside Rose at the lingerie shower. "Are you?"

Rose looks around at the large room in one of London's fanciest hotels. Jackie rented it out for the afternoon, and it's filled with pink balloons and streamers.

Women fill the room, some of them, like Anna and Riley, actually people Rose knows. The rest are friends of Jackie and Pete.

"No," Rose says glumly. "My mum is torturing me."

"It's fun," Donna corrects her, sitting down on Rose's other side and taking a sip of something bright pink.

"That's because you're not going through this."

"Bridal showers are fun," Donna says. "Sweets, drinks, presents."

"Well, the present part could be reduced," Riley says. "I've been to all three of them now."

"Hey, I didn't make the guest lists," Rose says, snagging a glass of something pink and fruity from a passing waiter. "Mum thought my best friend would like to come to all of them. You're welcome to go home."

"Listen to Miss Attitude!" Donna exclaims.

"How are things with you and Sam?" Rose asks wickedly.

Donna blushes. "My, this drink is very tart."

"Has he kissed you again?" Riley leans in closer to hear. "Or...anything else?"

"Tart but sweet," Donna pronounces. "Yum."

"You'll talk sooner or later," Rose promises.

"I think I'll have another one." Donna stands up, smoothes down her lavender skirt, and walks back to the bar.

"Are they dating?" Riley asks when Donna's out of earshot.

"I don't know."

"She's crazy about him, I could tell. And he never stopped watching her if they were in the same room. It was sweet. Kind of like you and the Doctor."

Rose winces to hear herself described as sweet. This entire day is making her very bitter and hostile.

"Take that back."

"You two are sweet and adorable."

"I am so going to kill you," Rose threatens.

"Oh my gosh," Riley exclaims as a large pink cake is wheeled out. "Don't tell me your mum hired a stripper!"

Rose lurches up, her drink spilling on to her pale green dress.

Riley laughs. "Just kidding. Hey, do I still get to be your bridesmaid?"


	2. Chapter 2

Rose walks into the flat and dumps a large pile of boxes and bags onto the floor.

"That," she says feelingly, "is the last time I ever do anything like that again. The concept of being given gifts is nice, but they don't mention all the other stuff that goes on, like awful games and making hats out of paper plates and ribbons."

She waits, but there is no response from the man sitting in the kitchen.

"I won't even _tell_ you about all the terrible lingerie they gave me," she continues.

"Rose," the Doctor says in an aggrieved, _why-me?_ voice, "why is your mother sending me e-mail?"

"I didn't think Mum knew your address."

"She doesn't. I was very careful not to ever mention it to her."

"Well, she found you," Rose points out with a smirk.

"She wants a list of my friends! What's she want that for?" He spins around in the chair and glares at her suspiciously, as though Rose were the reason for Jackie's request.

Rose is picking up her boxes and doesn't notice his glare. "She's making the guest list. She needs everyone's names and addresses for the invitations."

He regards the computer screen for a moment, _the love, Jackie_ at the end of the e-mail message burning into his retinas.

"I don't have anyone to invite," he says finally. He's not whining, he's just stating a fact.

"What, no one? No one from work or anywhere?"

"Well, they're already invited, aren't they? It's assumed that they'll be present. Torchwood and all those other humans." He waves an expansive hand around.

"I thought we'd decided you weren't to call us all 'humans' like that," Rose says sternly. "And who are all those other humans?"

"Oh, Sam and Donna and Clive. Well, maybe not Clive."

"They're already down," Rose notes. "I think Mum means your friends from the university."

"Them?" he asks in horror. "I can't invite them. They don't even know who I am!"

She raises her eyebrows at him.

"I mean, obviously they _know_ me. They've worked with me. But they don't know that I work for Torchwood and that I'm marrying the Vitex heiress."

"Don't call me that," she says warningly.

"Are you ready for next quarter's board meeting?" he asks innocently.

"I am so gonna kill you," she threatens.

"They don't need to come," he finishes.

"Give Mum their names," Rose says. "It's a nice gesture. That's what humans do, you know. They make nice gestures. They're not rude to friends and colleagues."

"I'm never rude!" he says indignantly.

Rose waits.

"Well, sometimes," he amends. "On occasion. When it's called for."

"Send her the list."

"How was the bridal...thing? Did you say something about lingerie?" he asks hopefully.

Rose brushes by him, her boxes and bags gathered back up in her arms.

"You wish," she says shortly.

* * *

The Doctor glances at the clock, even though he does not, of course, need such a primitive time-keeping device. He knows without checking that it's been eighty-one minutes since they began tracking that odd stuff in the sky. Soon they should begin to receive transmission readings and see what that odd stuff really is.

He logs off his computer - he's not doing anything very important lately, let's be honest - and locks up his lab. Across the hall he can hear music coming from Anna's lab. She's looking for the perfect wedding song.

Pausing on his way, he steps into her lab. As always, the room is nearly sterile in its neatness. On a far table sits a CD player and a stack of CDs. The song currently playing is slow and sentimental, and it makes his teeth ache. He makes a mental note to check the wedding customs of this place, just in case Jackie gets it into her head to play something like that at his wedding.

Anna's desk is its usual orderly place, with only her knitting bag, sitting on the floor and spilling out yarn, showing a mess.

Anna herself is at the back, wearing her lab coat and goggles. She's holding a small silver tube and is using it to cut a hole in a piece of metal on the table. The Doctor carefully walks over to her.

"Is that the new laser you've been working on?"

Anna stops cutting and regards him from behind those plastic goggles.

"It's working pretty well. See?"

She hands him the laser. He takes an experimental aim, frowns at the results, and then proceeds to take the laser apart.

"What are you doing?" she asks. "It took a long time to build that."

"What parts did you use? This looks like Antillan rock."

"There's no rock there. It's a metal we recovered a few years ago."

"That's what it's called - rock. It's actually a metal alloy from the Antillan systems." He stares at it for a moment, sets it down, and picks up a small hammer.

"Don't you dare," Anna says quickly, but he's tapped it before she can stop him.

"You're destroying months of work and thousands of pounds!"

"Nah," he disagrees, putting the components back together. "I saw this once, in an Antillan warehouse. If the laser is off a bit, it will function, but you need to recharge the rock with a nice sharp tap."

He wields the laser again, and this time it slices through the metal with a greater ease than before.

Anna accepts it back graciously, with no comments about his alienness and knowledge of other systems. It is the way she usually deals with the fact that he is an alien.

"Thanks," she says grudgingly.

"You're welcome. How's the music coming?" He nods at the radio.

"My mother hired a band to play at the reception. I'm just trying to find a song for us to dance our first dance to."

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"You'd think so. Luckily I have a year to find it."

"Is it that important?"

Anna gives him what he has started to call The Look. In most ways she is still her normal self, but mention of the wedding tends to bring The Look on.

"It's our first dance. Of course it's important!"

"Of course," he agrees. "Naturally. Absolutely. Well, they need me in Control. See you later."

He shakes his head at the customs humans engage in and heads up to the Control room.

Simon and Jake and Ian are already there, monitoring the Torchwood device's progress.

"How is it going?" the Doctor asks, taking out his glasses and putting them on.

"It's almost there," Jake says, pointing at the computer screen. "How much longer?"

"Thirteen minutes," the woman at the keyboard answers, eyes glued to the screen. "We'll begin receiving signals at that time."

"Not so long, then." Jake sits back in his chair and regards the Doctor. "What are you up to, then?"

"Oh, not much. You?"

"Well, I'm not the one getting married," Jake points out with a small smirk. "I hear Jackie is keeping you hopping."

"She's planning her dream wedding," the Doctor agrees. "As in most things, it's easier to let her have her way."

"Who's your best man?" Simon asks.

"My best man for what?" the Doctor asks back.

"Your best man for the wedding. The bloke who stands up with you while you get married."

Here is a human custom he'd all but forgotten about.

"Best man," he says slowly. "I don't know." He eyes them all, these men that he's made friends with. He's known Jake the longest, technically. Simon is a good friend, and Ian is also marrying Anna, who is a friend, as well.

"I'm avoiding anything like that until I have to do it myself," Ian says quickly. "Don't ask me, please."

The Doctor looks speculatively at Simon and Jake. They both start to smile at the same time.

"I'll flip you for it," Jake tells Simon.

"Deal."

"You can't go flipping for that!" the Doctor protests. "This is a very important moment! To flip a coin and decide like that is just...flippant."

"Call it," Jake says, ready with a coin.

"Heads," Simon says instantly.

The coin lands on its edge and spins round the table. They all watch it closely. It comes to a stop, and Jake nods.

"Heads it is."

Simon grins. "Excellent. I'll see you at your stag party."

"Sorry?"

"What is that?" Ian says suddenly. "What the hell is that?"

The others crowd around the computer and follow the trail.

"Oh, no," Simon murmurs.

"Call Pete," the Doctor orders before running out of the room.

"I'll get the car," Ian calls, following him.

* * *

Rose meets up with them in the street. She's walking up to them carrying a Torchwood-issue weapon. Her hair is drawn back and she has protective glasses on her face.

"Something going on?" she asks cheerfully.

Ian and the Doctor are crouching down behind a parked car on the street, roughly three miles from the Tower. She can see Simon across the street, and Jake farther down, both of them taking cover behind other parked cars. They are all following the movements of a small silver spacecraft that has landed at the end of the street.

The men look up.

"Yes," the Doctor says testily, "something is going on."

"I heard it was an alien invasion." Rose kneels down beside him, elbowing Ian out of the way.

"Rose, do you mind? I've got a monitor here."

"Sorry." Rose helps him right his little monitor. The needle is swinging wildly. "Is it supposed to be doing that?"

"Readings are crazy. There are aliens all over the place."

"Yeah, but what do they want?"

"Incoming!" Simon shouts, and the three of them turn to see a spot of bright flashes.

"Oh, that's not good," the Doctor mutters.

Rose raises her weapon and fires. Her blast meets the flash in mid-air, and sparks disintegrate.

"I will attempt to overcome any scruples I have about weaponry," the Doctor pants, looking again at the monitor.

"I've saved your life more than once," she tells him briskly. "You'd better."

"Aliens on the ground," Jake says. "Another team coming on the scene."

Soon small golden aliens are walking in a single file away from the spacecraft and toward the barricade of Torchwood vehicles parked at the street.

"Who are they?" Rose demands.

"No idea," the Doctor says tersely. "Yet another surprise this universe has for us."

"Honestly," Ian complains, taking aim at the head of the alien line, "what use are you if you can't identify the aliens we run into?"

"This is a _parallel_ universe," the Doctor snaps back. "Not everything is the same. In this world Rose's counterpart was a small dog."

"A what?" Ian asks, momentarily distracted.

"Shut up!" Rose hisses. "No one needs to know that. Honestly!"

"A small _dog_?"

The aliens start firing.

'They've identified us as the resistance," Jake retorts over their headsets. "I'm betting that if they subdue us, they think they can conquer the world."

"Seriously?" Rose says. "I mean, come on."

"We've seen it before," Jake says.

"Yeah, but still."

"It is a bit overdone," the Doctor agrees. Just then a blast comes their way, hanging in the air above them before Rose takes care of it. "But effective," he adds.

"Watch out!" Rose ducks down behind the car. Her mobile starts to ring. Incredibly distracted, she digs it out.

"Hello?"

"Rose, you need to decide about the cake! Do you want vanilla or -"

"Mum, I can't talk now! I'm under fire! Call you later!"

"We don't have a lot of time, Rose, and I'm trying to help you!"

"Mums, aliens are firing at me, all right? I'll call you later!"

"At least tell me if you want fondant or buttercream icing!"

Rose tosses the phone away and takes aim with her weapon.

"She all right?" the Doctor calls, lobbing a small detonator designed to block the blast from the aliens' weaponry.

"She wanted to know what flavor we want the cake!" Rose yells back, lobbing a smoke bomb out and away.

"Oh, chocolate, surely!"

* * *

A few more minutes and three Torchwood field teams later, the alien threat is contained. The Doctor and Rose watch as the small creatures, only nine in number, are hauled away in nondescript white vans.

"What a day," Rose says, brushing at her arm, where it feels like a massive bruise is setting up.

"We'll debrief them and send them on home," the Doctor says. He plans to be there when it happens.

Rose sighs. "Sometimes I wonder what it's like for normal people."

He considers this for a moment. "Quieter," he says finally. "But not nearly as much fun."


	3. Chapter 3

The flat is nearly empty. All that remains is Tony's old cot, their bed, and some of the Doctor's clothes. Everything else has been moved to their new house. Their own house, with four walls and a door and carpets, and a TARDIS-blue front door.

The baby TARDIS will move into the shed today, and after the honeymoon the Doctor will start to build up the control console and circuits, and then the baby TARDIS will soon grow into an adult TARDIS.

As long as he doesn't mess it up.

"Is she ready?" Rose asks from the doorway.

He turns to look at her. He's been standing over the cot, staring pensively at the lump of coral.

"I think so." His hands are in his pockets and he's standing with his shoulders hunched.

Rose takes him in, this man that she's going to marry soon. He's wearing khaki trousers and a blue shirt - really, did she once think that he was a bit too attached to a suit? He's now a bit too attached to the color blue. He's wearing his usual white plimsolls. His coat with its Time Lord pockets is lying across the cot, ready to go.

Rose waits a beat. "Are you ready?"

"Are we sure we have to follow the usual-"

Rose cuts him off. "Yes. That's what they do here. It'll be fine."

He scowls. "It won't be."

She smiles coaxingly at him. "We still have today. Come on. Let's take her home."

The blue shed, with its own TARDIS-blue door, is waiting at the back of the garden. Rose opens the door and the Doctor carries the TARDIS inside.

He sets it carefully down on a shelf, then goes back for the cot, keeping it folded up in case a neighbor sees it and thinks that they're stashing a baby in their back garden.

"Is she happy?" Rose asks once the cot is there.

The Doctor gently touches the coral. "She is," he confirms. "A bit more growing here, and we'll begin." He looks at Rose. "Can't you tell?"

"Well, I'm not the Time Lord, am I? Or is it Time Lady?"

He smiles and takes her hand, gently brushing her fingers along the coral.

Rose feels the soft sponginess, the slight dampness. And then...

"Is that her?" she gasps.

He looks at her quickly. "Do you hear it?"

"It's the song," Rose murmurs. "The song of the TARDIS. I remember it."

She connects the two for the first time - the ship they used to travel in and this small piece of coral. They are one and the same.

"You can hear it," the Doctor whispers, hope filling his eyes. "You can hear it. What's she saying?"

"Saying?" Rose says in surprise. "It's just a song. Isn't it?"

He smiles. "She's talking to me. We've bonded again. I can hear her and she can hear me. But you, Rose Tyler. You can hear her song." He sounds awed by this.

"Why is that so special?"

He's looking at her, searching her face as if the answer to that will be in her eyes.

"Most humans can't hear her at all," he says. "Jack and Mickey never did. You never did. Martha and Donna didn't."

"Us stupid apes?" she asks, eyebrow arched.

"But you absorbed the Time Vortex," he continues as if she hadn't spoken. "I thought I took it all out of you."

"I hope so," Rose says in some alarm. "Wouldn't it have killed me?"

"Well, it killed me, didn't it?" he asks reasonably. "But that's because you accepted the Vortex. It flowed through you. I took it out of you and into me - that's what killed me."

"I still don't understand you," she complains. The song continues.

He raises a hand and runs it through the length of her hair. He smiles.

"What this means, Rose Tyler, is that you can hear our TARDIS, almost as well as I can hear her. It means she'll bond to the both of us."

"Okay. And that's good?"

"Oh, that's very good."

* * *

They say goodbye to the TARDIS and lock it up in the shed. Hand in hand, they walk slowly through the new house. Their furniture is set up in some of the rooms. Other rooms are still empty, and will probably remain so for a while.

He stands in one of them and waits. The feelings of panic are not there. He'd felt panic before. Over the planet of Krop Tor, watching his TARDIS disappear from view. In 1969, stuck with Martha while weeping angels sought to devour his TARDIS.

This time, though, it's different. Yeah, he has the TARDIS, but it's still a potential TARDIS. It may not work, this daft scheme he's cooked up. Or it may well work, but not until so far in the future that he will be just a distant memory.

No, the panic isn't there. Is it because he's human? Because part of him is Donna Noble, and Donna Noble wanted a home and a normal life?

"Nah," he says to himself, as the reason walks into the room. "It's because of Rose Tyler."

She tilts her head to the side. "What about me?"

"You are the reason," he tells her.

"For what?"

"Well, for everything."

* * *

He sneaks around the mansion, avoiding the crowds and the security guards posted around to keep out the photographers. Walking to the side of the mansion, he scans the windows before finding the one he's looking for. Pulling out a small rock from his pocket, he tosses it up. The rock hits the window but nothing happens. He can't help but be annoyed at the lack of response. That was a perfect aim.

Fishing out another rock, he throws it up again. This time a dark shape appears at the window. Curtains are pulled back and he sees a familiar blonde head. He can't help but duck slightly. There are two blondes in that house at the moment, and he doesn't want to get the attention of the wrong one.

It's Rose. She opens the window and pokes her head out, looking down at him from the second floor.

"What are you doing?" she asks, sounding puzzled.

"Rose, I need to talk to you!"

"You'll be seeing me in about an hour, you know," she points out.

"I need to talk to you now. Please."

She sighs. "Okay. Stay there." She shuts the window. A few moments later she eases open a back door and walks over to him.

"What are you doing?" she asks again.

He takes her hand. "Come on."

"Where?" she asks warily, hanging back.

"Not far. Not long. Just come on!"

He's acting very odd and mysterious, even for him. Rose allows herself to be pulled across the side lawn and to the gate that leads to the back gardens.

Sunlight filters in through the trees. It's a beautiful sunny day and Rose smiles. When they've come to the middle of a nice patch, the Doctor lets go of her hand and turns to look at her. His eyes search her face, his lips parted as if he wants to ask her something.

The sunlight hits his hair, turning it several shades lighter and brighter. She can see every line, every freckle on his face, and she loves them all. She knows his face better than she knows her own features.

"What's wrong?" she asks softly.

"I haven't seen you in a while," he complains.

"We're following the local customs," she reminds him humorously. "No seeing the bride for three days before the wedding."

"Yes, well, it's ridiculous. All of the trappings that go along with it. And your mother had gone completely out of control with this reception." He's been glancing around as he speaks, and something catches his attention. "Hang on. Is that...is that a _tent_?"

"Yes."

"No one said anything about a tent."

"I know, but Mum is in charge." Rose shrugs. "Only a little while left now, anyway." Something occurs to her, and she sees new meaning in his odd actions today. Her gaze sharpens on his face, "Why are you here? Are you leaving?"

"Not yet," he assures her.

"Not _yet_? You're leaving? Today?" Rose is horrified. "Why would you do that to me?"

"Do what to you? I've got to go get ready, don't I?" The Doctor sounds aggrieved by this, as if getting ready for his own wedding is just too much of an imposition.

Rose feels foolish and tries not to blush. "Yeah, of course." She takes in his clothing, the first times she's seen him or spoken to him in three days. He's wearing jeans and those brown shoes he favors for stomping around in, and a white shirt that buttons down the front and has little blue symbols printed all over it. It's unusual for him, and Rose steps closer to touch it.

"Where did you get this? All your shirts are blue."

He looks down at the shirt, noting for the first time that he buttoned it wrong in his haste. "Sam gave it to me, last night. Said it's good luck. Rose."

"Yeah."

He swallows. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she says earnestly. "I do. And we'll be getting married today. So why did you come over here?" She braces herself, waiting for whatever is wrong to come out.

"Here. I have something for you." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out two small objects. Placing one in her hands, he waits.

It's a small silver ring, perfectly smooth and shiny. Rose holds it up. "Is this mine?" she asks.

"Yes. Do you like it?"

Her smile lights up her face. "I do. It's perfect."

"I know that's what you said you wanted. If...if you want something fancier later...I know your mum was put out that you didn't have a diamond-"

"Mum's not running around the world after aliens, is she?" she asks with a smile. "This is just what I want."

"There's more," he says, and is surprised to find his voice shaking. "Inside."

"Inside." Rose holds the ring up again, letting the light hit her palm. On the inside of the ring is round, flowing script.

"What does it say?"

"It's my vow," he tells her, and she lifts her eyes from the ring to his.

"Your vow. To me?"

He nods, smiling slightly.

Rose looks at the script again, carefully memorizing the pattern. "Your vow. What does it say?"

"Forever."

"Where's yours?" she asks.

He holds up another ring, identical to hers but larger. Inside is the same script.

"I presumed, I guess, to put it in mine, but I mean it. Forever."

"Forever," she agrees.

He swallows hard. "All of my forevers, Rose. Whatever we have to look forward to, good and bad. You have everything. You're my life."

She's crying a little now. "You're my everything, too."

"Here." He takes her ring from her fingers and holds her left hand. "I don't know all the words," he confesses, "but with this ring I thee wed." He slides her wedding ring onto her finger. They look at it together, shining on her hand with the sunlight all around them.

Rose smiles and takes his hand. "With this rung I thee wed," she says softly, and slides the ring over his finger. "Forever."

He laughs and hugs her tightly. Rose pulls away to kiss him.

"There. We're married now," she tells him. "As of right now. The rest is just a party that Mum wanted to throw."

She looks at her hand and is amazed at how light she feels now. She'd needed this symbol of his commitment, had needed it for a very long time. She didn't even realize how badly she wanted it until she had it.

He feels married now, and he didn't a moment ago. According to the laws of this world they still aren't married, but in his heart and mind they are.

"I have to go get ready," Rose says. "Mum has the photographer coming."

He looks at her. Her hair is unbound and unstyled and there isn't a stitch of makeup on her face. She's wearing a tatty old t-shirt and jeans, and she is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen in 900 years.

"You're perfect," he says softly. "I love you, Rose."

* * *

"Where'd you get off to?" Jackie demands. "The photographer will be here soon."

Rose starts to strip off her clothes as soon as she walks into her old bedroom. "I know, I know!"

Jackie is standing at the ready, Rose's underclothing in hand. "Riley is getting dressed next door. She looks lovely. Your dad is making sure no one crosses all those security people."

"A bit silly, isn't it?" Rose asks suddenly, pulling on clothes as quickly as she can.

"What is?"

"All the fuss over me getting married. If it were old Rose Tyler off the estate no one would be looking twice."

"Well, you're not old Rose Tyler," Jackie says sympathetically. "And I have so much more sympathy for Lady Di after dealing with this lot all these years."

For no reason at all, Rose starts to laugh. After a moment, Jackie starts to laugh, too.

"I love you, Rose. So much." Jackie steps away and carefully wipes at her eyes, not wanting to smear his eye makeup. "Stockings."

Rose sits and puts on filmy nude stockings. Part of her is excited to be doing this, and another part of her wishes she could have stayed in that field forever.

"What's that?" Jackie has seen the ring through the stockings. Rose slowly withdraws her hand and shows her mother.

Jackie tilts her head questioningly. "It's my wedding ring," Rose says quietly.

"You don't wear it until the ceremony, Rose."

"We...we just had one. Our own. Outside."

Jackie has a blank look on her face.

"Me and the Doctor," Rose clarifies.

"You and the Doctor."

"Me and the Doctor."

"Just now?"

"Just now."

"Outside."

"Yes."

"Married."

"Ourselves."

Jackie sighs, accepting this as yet another odd thing the two of them do when they're left together. "Let's do up your makeup before you get the dress on. You don't mind if you have another ceremony for the rest of us?"

She hasn't always understood Rose, and she usually doesn't understand the Doctor, but some things Jackie Tyler knows without having to ask. Rose hugs her rightly.

"I'm so happy!"

Jackie squeezes her tightly. "Me, too! Oh, my baby!" She holds on to Rose, rocking her back and forth.

"Have we done makeup yet?" Riley asks from the doorway. She's standing up with Rose today, and she's wearing a lovely long gown that floats to the floor.

"Oh, you're gorgeous!" Jackie says. "I told you that pink would look wonderful on you."

Riley is not a girl who often wears pink, but looking at her Rose has to admit that pink is Riley's color. It's a nice soft pink that makes her skin look pale and her dark hair even darker.

"You are, Riley!" Rose says in delight. "Maybe one of the movie guys tonight will want your number."

"Only if they're human. Aliens aren't any good to me." Riley pauses. "No offense meant, of course."

"Of course," Rose agrees, pulling on a robe and sitting down. "Okay."

They do their own makeup, despite past protests from Sam's cosmetics department. Rose and the Doctor have become pets of the movie studio, having saved their lives and their livelihoods.

Rose wears dark mascara and some blush and a nice lipstick and is satisfied. Riley does her own makeup quickly and lets in Laura, the hairdresser from Sam's studio, who sweeps in to do all of their three heads.

Jackie is even more delighted than before. "I couldn't have done it better," she congratulates her stylist.

"Thank you," Laura says serenely.

Rose's hair is curled and pinned up into a knot that lets a few waves free.

"Just like the movie," Laura says. "Is that all right?"

Jackie watches in intense satisfaction. "It's beautiful. All right." Jackie suddenly gets brisk. " Are you ready to get dressed?"

"Ready," Rose confirms.

"Here's Doris now," Laura says, and lets her in before leaving.

Doris is the wardrobe mistress at the studio, and she is the one who designed and made Rose's wedding dress. It should not have been finished so soon, but Rose suspects there are alien methods that Doris isn't sharing.

Doris hangs up the dress bag and zips it open, taking out a long white dress.

"Are your hands clean?" Doris asks severely.

Rose nods. "They are." She holds them up to show. Jackie holds hers up, too.

Doris nods, satisfied.

Rose takes off her robe. She's wearing the same corset and underpinnings she wore in the movie, per Doris' instructions, and steps into the dress that Jackie and Doris are holding up.

"It's heavier than it looks, isn't it?" Riley comments, adjusting the skirt.

The dress's skirt is white satin. It billows out but stops at the floor. With her white satin shoes on, the skirt will graze the floor when she moves. Tiny pink flowers dot the skirt here and there. The bodice has a low square neck and tiny sleeves that sit on Rose's shoulders. It's plain by this world's standards but it's perfect for Rose. It's close to the dress that she wore in the movie, but it's also her very own.

"I did quite a nice job on that," Doris says with a smile.

"Oh, but you're beautiful." Jackie starts to cry again. Riley suppresses a smile and hands her a tissue.

Pete knocks on the door. "Almost time," he says. He comes farther into the room and Jackie steps back to let him look at Rose. Riley and Doris slip out.

Pete smiles. "Rose. You look beautiful."

She smiles back. "Thanks, Dad."

Unbidden, Jackie starts to cry in earnest. Silently, but the tears keep falling and she can't stop them.

"Mum?"

Jackie tries to smile but can't, and Rose hugs her tightly. "It's okay," she whispers in Jackie's ear. "He knows. He knows."

"I know," Jackie manages, and hugs Rose back.

Pete watches his wife with understanding. Jackie smiles apologetically at him.

"It's okay, Jackie," Pete says quietly. "He does know."

"Yes." Jackie wipes at her cheeks. "One last thing, Rose, before we go."

"What is it?"

Jackie sniffs. "Pete?"

Pete pulls out a small black box. "Your mum and I wanted to get you something for today."

"You didn't have to do that. You're having the wedding here. That's enough."

"I know. But we wanted to. You're our only daughter and you're getting married." Pete hands her the box. Inside are two diamond earrings. Not ostentatious and dangly, like Jackie's, but plain round stones.

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She kisses her parents and puts the earrings on.

Pete clears his throat. "You don't have to wear them after today. I know you've always liked hoops before, and-"

"They're perfect," Rose interrupts him. "Thank you."

"All right." Jackie clears her throat "Veil. And shoes. Flowers are at the church. Let me get Tony and we can get in the car."

The veil is attached by a small comb. Rose wishes for flowers in her hair instead but lets Jackie slip it on her head. Satin shoes bump up her height a bit and adjust her skirt to the proper length.

Pete looks at Rose. "Are you ready?"

She nods. "Yeah."

A bride stares back at her from the mirror. It doesn't seem possible that it's Rose, but it is.

"We're getting married," she says softly. "Married."

It's the ultimate in things domestic, for a man who once claimed he didn't do domestic at all. Rose laughs out loud in sheer happiness. Gathering up her skirts, she follows Pete out to the car.


	4. Chapter 4

He's sitting where he was told to, in the small room that's designated for the groom. Simon is out there, performing his duties as an usher before he stands up with him at the altar.

All the time he was planning and plotting and scheming to marry Rose, he never looked this far ahead, to a small room in a church. When he pictured marrying Rose it had been something vague, perhaps eloping to Las Vegas or Gretna Green. Did people still elope to Gretna Green?

Jackie had had her way in this, as well, vetoing roundly Rose's suggestion of marrying at the mansion. For his part, he's glad to be marrying Rose, and he would gladly submit to any ceremony that will make it as official and as binding as possible.

The Doctor stands and stares at his reflection. He's wearing a tuxedo, black tie. Jackie had made some noises about the type of suit he ought to have, based on the time of day. He'd ignored her. He has the tux, so he's going to wear it.

And Rose has a particular fondness for the tuxedo. Seems a shame to let her down today of all days.

He's still him. Dark hair, dark eyes. A body that will age and grow, but never change into a different one. He's stuck with this one, all right.

He tilts his head back and forth. "Could be worse."

"What could be?"

The Doctor turns around. "Hello, Pete."

"You ready?" Pete asks.

The Doctor clears his throat. "Just about."

"I know you haven't got any family," Pete says awkwardly. "So I thought I'd come and see if you needed anything."

The Doctor frowns lightly. "No, I don't think so. Is there something else I should have?"

"No. You look good." Pete nods at the pink rose in the Doctor's lapel. "Got your flower, then?"

"Yes, yes I did. And you."

"Yeah."

Pink roses, to match the flowers Rose was holding in the movie they shot, when he asked her to marry him.

It's his wedding day, and if anyone is going to be nervous today it ought to be him, but he senses something coming from Pete.

"Everything okay, Pete?" Surely he's not regretting the expense of all this.

"Jackie didn't want kids," Pete says abruptly. "My first wife, Jackie. Obviously. She never wanted to lose her figure. We had a dog instead. Named her Rose."

The Doctor nods. "I remember."

"One day I was on top of the world. My marriage was in a bit of trouble but I thought that we could work things out. As soon as I was done with my operative work, we could fix everything. And then it all disappeared." Pete slides his hands into his pockets and looks out the window. "My wife was killed."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor says, apologizing once more for what he knows wasn't his fault. He didn't bring the Cybermen to this world but he still feels responsible.

"I know I wasn't kind to Rose when she tried to tell me who she was." Pete glances at him. "But I had three years to think about it. Three years to think about Rose and her mother."

The Doctor nods, comprehension coming. "You knew what would happen when the Cybermen came through, didn't you? You were going to find Rose and Jackie."

"Yeah." Pete laughs. "Yeah, I was. I didn't want to admit it, but I couldn't stop thinking about them."

"I know the feeling."

"You met him. The other...me? Rose's father?" Pete has heard this before, but he needs to hear it again. Needs to hear that it's okay for him to take a dead man's family from him.

"Yeah. He was a lot younger - Rose was a babe in his arms. But he was a good man. It's a tragedy that he never got to see her grow up."

"I've got her now. She's mine. Wasn't always easy - me with a grown daughter out of the blue. But she and Jackie made it all work here. Rose means a lot to me."

The Doctor will make many exceptions for Pete's special status today, but on this point he's not going to bend.

"She was mine first," he says lightly, but a thread of steel runs beneath it. "From our proper world to this one, she was mine. I won't ever hurt her."

"I know." Pete looks at him levelly. "I know you won't. But you're not the only one she belongs to."

She was the Doctor's first, and only Jackie Tyler has a greater claim on Rose than he does. And still the Doctor nods, accepting Pete's verdict. This, too, is what family means.

* * *

"Something old," Jackie says from the middle of the bride's room in the church she chose for her daughter to be married in.

Rose looks down. "The bracelet." On her wrist is a diamond bracelet that Pete gave to Jackie when Tony was born. For a bride who landed in the world with nothing to her name just a few years ago, finding something old is the hardest part of the old ritual.

"Something new."

"My earrings."

"Something borrowed."

"Donna lent me a barrette." It's of semi-precious stones, nothing very fancy, but it was perfect to fasten in amongst the curls on Rose's head.

"Something blue."

Rose lifts her skirts. "A garter."

"Sixpence for your shoe?"

"In my shoe," Rose confirms.

Riley watches from the sidelines, highly amused. On this world, there is no such bridal tradition, and she finds it fascinating.

"You can still change your mind," Jackie says, and Rose looks at her mother in surprise.

Jackie smiles. "Just kidding. You're happy, aren't you?" she asks. "He does make you happy."

"Do you have to ask?" Rose says softly.

Jackie shakes her head. "No. I've known you've loved him since you were nineteen years old. I just never thought I'd be standing here today."

"Either did I," Rose admits. "But try and stop me now that I am."

* * *

The music starts up. Jackie picked it out and Rose doesn't recognize it. She starts down the aisle on Pete's arm, amazed that she's doing something so traditional.

Rose sees just about everyone from Torchwood, as well as the executives from Vitex. A large number of people from Sam Lively Productions are there, and she's pleased that they've risked Torchwood to come to her wedding. Sam and Donna are sitting near the front on the groom's side. Donna waves excitedly when she sees Rose.

"Your mum is over the moon with this," Pete says as they slowly move to the front of the church. "Thanks."

"Oh, Dad. Thank you for doing this for us."

At the altar, Pete takes Rose's hand from his arm and walks her to the Doctor. He's standing there looking a bit nervous, but his face broke out into a smile when he saw Rose and now he's beaming as he takes her hand and holds it tightly.

"Hello," she greets him.

"Hello."

They turn and face the minister, ready to begin their newest adventure.

"Do you, John Smith, take this woman to be your wife? To love her, comfort her, honor her, in sickness and in health? And forsaking all others so long as you both shall live?"

"Forever," the Doctor says.

The minister is thrown by this. "I beg your pardon?"

"My vows are forever. Not as long as we both shall live. Forever."

"That's not the way the service is read," the minister murmurs. In this universe the marriage ceremony is the marriage ceremony, and no one writes their own vows.

"That's how I'm saying them," the Doctor says pleasantly.

"Just do what he says," Simon mutters.

The Doctor turns to look at him. "I'm being very precise," he says firmly. "That is what I mean."

The minster is still waiting for a response.

"Are you sure you want to muck up your wedding to do it?" Simon asks.

"Yes."

"Very good." The minster seizes on this as a response to his question and turns to Rose.

He clears his throat. "And do you, Rose Marion Tyler, take this man to be your husband?"

"Yes."

"To love, comfort, honor him, in sickness and in health?" Rose nods. "And forsaking all others so long as you both shall live."

"Forever," Rose says.

"Oh, honestly," the minster mutters.

"They're our vows," Rose says reasonably.

"It seems fair that we get to choose the wording," the Doctor adds.

Simon is sincerely regretting his decision to stand up at the altar. He is fairly sure Pete is aiming a gun at his head right now, just waiting for something wrong to happen.

"Say it, Rose," Riley urges her quietly. "You want to get married, don't you?"

"Of course I do-"

"Very well," the minister interrupts, taking her answer for the response to her vows. "Now, John, you say to her, 'with all my worldy goods I thee endow'."

"My worldly goods," the Doctor repeats.

"Yes."

"With all my wordly goods I thee endow," the Doctor says promptly.

"The ring?" The minister looks to the best man for this. Simon shrugs.

The mister looks at the bridal pair. They hold up their hands, wedding rings clearly visible.

He controls himself with an effort. "Very well. By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." He turns to the congregation. "May I introduce Doctor and Mrs. John Smith."

"Oh, no," the Doctor says. Rose looks at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't it be... I don't know. Where's your name gone to?" He looks at the minister. "She's always been Rose Tyler. Is that what she's called now? Mrs. John Smith? It's not even my real name."

The mister's eyes bulge. "What?"

"We can change it. Do you want to be Doctor and Mrs. Tyler?" Rose suggests.

He frowns thoughtfully as he considers this. Simon clears his throat and tries to avoid catching Jackie's eyes. He can tell that she's having conniptions over the hold up. Tony is squirming around on the seat beside her.

Riley is fidgeting with her bouquet. "Tyler-Smith," she whispers.

Rose and the Doctor and the minister and Simon turn to look at her. Seeing their heads move, the entire church looks at Riley as well.

"Change your name," she tells them. "Be the Tyler-Smith family. Everyone's happy, yeah?"

Rose and the Doctor look at each other and smile.

"Done," the Doctor says briskly.

"I love it," Rose says happily.

The minster lets out a deep, deep breath. "May I present Doctor and Mrs. Tyler-Smith," he says wearily. "You may now kiss the bride."

The Doctor kisses his bride enthusiastically. The congregation begins to applaud, Jackie loudest of all.

With his arms still around Rose, the Doctor looks at the minister. "Shouldn't that have come before you pronounced us husband and wife?" he asks politely.

* * *

The photographer poses the family groups around ruthlessly, treating them all like puppets who won't stay where he puts them. On the sidelines roams some of Sam's crew, videotaping the entire thing for later enjoyment. Knowing Sam, he'll make them sign a disclosure statement later so he can use part of it in an upcoming movie.

"Bride and groom now," the photographer calls.

Rose and the Doctor move forward obediently. They smile and look into the camera, trying not to squint. On the sidelines Jackie is crying, continuously and silently, into a handkerchief.

"Your mum's gone off the deep end."

"She's happy."

"No, she's finally accepted that you are now mine." He sounds pretty smug about that. "I always knew I'd get you in the end."

"You did?" Rose is surprised into a laugh.

"Oh, yes," he assures her.

* * *

The wedding party and guests moves back to the mansion, and the back lawns and tent are filled with people.

The Doctor keeps scheming up ways to leave, but someone always seems to want to talk, or take his picture, or force him into something he doesn't want to do, when all he wants is to take Rose's hand and run.

After an hour he gives up. He's come this far, he may as well concede the entire day and evening to Jackie. He allows himself to be photographed and congratulated. Colleagues from the scientific world have come, awed at their surroundings, so different from the academic world. They appear delighted that the secretive Dr. Smith has married the Vitex heiress.

There is one, horrifying moment, when the Doctor and Jackie are expected to dance together. Rose and Pete readily move to the dance floor, but the Doctor and Jackie are left standing like statues. The music grows persistent, and people are starting to notice. He manfully swallows and stiffly extends his arms to her. Jackie nods nervously, and he puts a hand on her waist and she puts a hand slowly on his shoulder. Their other hands clasp in a light hold, and he sincerely hopes for time to speed up.

And then it hits him - how absurd that poor Jackie Tyler has just watched him marry her daughter. And he laughs with joy and spins her around, this mother-in-law who's not all that much older than he is. Jackie's hair falls down, and she laughs like a lunatic, kicking off her shoes and letting him spin her around.

Eventually she abandons him altogether for the CFO of Vitex. Pete finally cuts in for a dance.

The Doctor finds himself facing Donna, and the he tries to ignore the odd lurch his heart gives.

"Spare a dance?" she asks.

He smiles and holds out his arms.

"This is lovely," she tells him. "It's been lovely."

"It was all Jackie," he tells her. "I just showed up."

"Well, that's what the groom is supposed to do," Donna allows. "We were looking at the scene with you and Rose, at the end of the film? Sam thinks it's one of the best shots."

"Again, I just showed up."

"Stop it." But she smiles. "Hey. Listen."

"What?"

"Do you feel it?" she whispers.

"Do I feel what?" the Doctor asks, glancing around.

"Every time I see you," she says slowly, "I feel like I'm supposed to know you. Am I supposed to know you?"

"You do know me."

"No, something else."

"Why do you think that there's something else?" he asks, stalling for time, hoping the band stops playing so he can bolt.

"Just a...just a feeling I get."

"A feeling."

"Yeah."

"Donna-"

"Okay, so it's stupid," she says briskly. "Been hanging around too many aliens, I have."

"Ah, my cue," Sam says from behind them, and Donna abandons the Doctor without so much as a backwards glance.

"You'll have to tell her someday, won't you?" Rose asks quietly from beside him.

He lets her take the lead in a slow dance because they're already on the dance floor.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"She feels something, that connection. I think it's her to the other Donna. You know, back home?"

He leads her off of the floor to stand by the edge of the tent, away from everyone else.

"Maybe she does. It's not something I want to think about right now."

"Or ever?" Rose guesses shrewdly. "I know you, love. You're the master of avoidance."

"Well. Sometimes things need to be avoided."

"And sometimes they can't be. Sometimes they need to be faced."

"Someday. Maybe."

He wraps his arms around Rose and heir hands meet in front of her. She looks down at their wedding rings and smiles.

"Your dancing was something else. I haven't see Mum laugh so hard in ages," she says.

He murmurs something as he rests his chin on the top of her head.

"You know what?" Rose continues.

"No, what?"

She twists her head to look back at him, their hands still together.

"I love you," she says clearly, so there can be no doubt. "All that is, all that was, all that ever will be. Through all that, I will love you."

* * *

Rose is losing interest in the entire affair, to be honest, and would love nothing more than to leave for the honeymoon. The destination hasn't been revealed to her but she has it on good authority that the Doctor requested three weeks' leave for both of them, as well as passports. She only hopes they won't have to travel far by zeppelin.

And that it won't involve aliens.

Or be anywhere even close to bloody Norway.

She's standing outside of the tent, looking up at the stars. The Doctor was seized upon by one of Pete's elderly great-aunts, and is being forced to listen to an long anecdote about Rose's childhood that can't possibly be true, seeing as how Rose did not grow up here and she's not this Pete's daughter.

The guests are inside the tent for the most part, dancing and eating the lavish meal that Jackie ordered.

"Good evening, Bride." Rose looks up and sees Sam and Donna standing there.

"Hi. Are you two having fun?"

"I am, yeah. Are you?" Sam asks.

"Yes." Rose smiles. "It's been a lot of fun."

"It's a gorgeous set-up here," Donna says. "Your mum's over the moon with it all."

"Yeah, that's my mum."

"I was talking to some of your Torchwood mates over there. They seem to have some kind of pool going on whether you'll leave before the cake is cut."

"Really?" It seems an odd thing to bet upon.

"And whether the Doctor will try to explode the cake when you slice into it."

"Really."

"Or if aliens will interrupt the festivities."

Rose starts to walk over to those Torchwood employees when Sam starts to laugh and grabs her arm. "Just kidding, Rose. Honestly, you humans are..." He catches Donna's eye and stops. "Anyway!" He digs through his tuxedo pocket. "We have something for you."

"I don't think so," the Doctor says from behind them. Walking around, he slides his arm around Rose's waist, keeping her close to his side.

Sam grins. "Relax. Here. From Donna and me." He hands Rose a small box. Opening it, she has a strange feeling of familiarity. People have been giving her jewelry all day, she thinks humorously.

Inside is a small round pendant made of sparkling little diamonds. It's hanging from a silver chain.

"It's lovely, Sam," Rose says, but doesn't know what else to say. It seems a bit awkward to thank a man for giving her jewelry when her new husband is standing right there.

But she has underestimated the Doctor. He reaches out and lifts the pendant. "Are these Arborean stones?"

Sam is pleased. "Yes."

"What's that?" Rose asks.

The Doctor lifts the pendant up all the way and hangs it between them so that she can see the stones shine. "They're stars. Actual ancient stars taken from the Arborean constellation. They renew every few thousand years, and when they die they're mined. These stones are what's left."

"How do you know that?" Sam asks, and the Doctor looks as guilty as if someone just accused him of theft.

"Oh, I must have heard it from somewhere," he says vaguely.

"Heard it where?" Donna presses.

"Oh, around, I guess."

The pendant catches some light from the twinkling lights hanging on the tent, and Rose blinks

Sam was waiting or that. "You can still see the star within, sometimes," he tells her.

"It's gorgeous," she says, honestly and heartfelt.

"I'm glad you like it. Something from across the stars, yeah?"

The Doctor slips it around Rose's neck and fastens the clasp. It rests right in the hollow of her throat.

"It's an unbreakable chain, too," Donna adds. "No matter what happens, it won't break."

"Thank you," Rose says.

"There is a legend about the Arborean stones," the Doctor says, staring at the pendant. "That as long as the stone is there the star can be seen." His voice is low and hypnotic as he recites from memory something he's known for a very long time. "That it will never completely die. And that if a beautiful woman wears them, her beauty will never fade."

"Now that sounds like something I can get behind," Donna says.

Sam is watching the Doctor. "That's not known here. No one has ever brought those stones to Earth before. How do you know that?"

But Rose smiles at them both and takes her husband's hand. "We have a cake to cut," she tells them, and leads the Doctor away.

But the cake, a truly gorgeous creation of four tiers and pink and white buttercream frosting, surrounded by bouquets of pink roses tied with pink ribbons, will have to wait for someone else.

"Are we ready?" Rose asks. "No one will notice if we leave."

"Let's go."

They sneak out right there and then, him in his tuxedo and her in her wedding dress. The car has been packed with their bags, and they get in and drive away with no one the wiser. One of the security guards sees them, but he only smiles and waves.

Driving down the freeway, windows open to let in the warm air, Rose removes her veil and laughs out loud. "We did it!" She lets the veil float through her fingers and out of the window, and they both whoop with laughter to see it fly down the freeway.

"We did it," he agrees with a grin. He turns his head and smiles at her.

"What?" she asks self-consciously.

He shakes his head. "Just looking at you."

"Why?"

"Because you're my wife," he says simply.

"Forever."

She once saw all that is, all that was, all that ever could be. She did not see this happening to her. If she had she would have tried to avoid it no matter what the cost. It's only now that she understands it's what was meant to happen all along.

* * *

When they reach the hotel where they've planned to stay for the night, he gets out and hauls their bags out of the car. He long ago abandoned his black jacket and tie, and his white shirt hangs messily outside of his trousers, the top button undone.

Rose steps out of the car. It's dark but the lawn is lit by some lights along the building. The heels of her shoes sink into the grass, and she steps neatly out of them, standing on the grass. Holding out her arms, she starts to spin, her skirt belling as she moves.

He stands and admires her. His wife. He would give anything to change the past, to allow his family and his people the chance to keep living on. How could he have known that their destruction would mean his salvation at the hands of one young, human shopgirl?

Rose has stopped spinning and is watching him. "Well?"

He sets the bags down. "Well, what?"

She smiles slowly. "Well, let's go find the honeymoon suite."

* * *

Later when Rose is still asleep, sprawled across the gorgeous bed with its insanely expensive linens in the honeymoon suite, he walks outside. It's cool out, and he's only wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His feet are bare.

Still, he stares at the sky. These are his stars after all, and he's starting to know them very well.

He stands up straight and summons all he can, and throws out a name to the heavens, willing it to cross over to the one who carries that name, forgotten though it might be.

"Thank you," he throws to the heavens. "Be at peace."

He thinks he can feel a gentle smile in reply.

* * *

"Do you think," she begins, and then stops. This is not the day for that question.

"Do I think what?" he asks absently, concentrating on merging into traffic.

She takes a deep breath. "Do you think this is what he meant, back on the beach?"

"I think so," he says easily. He turns to smile at her, and her heart fills with love for him. "I think he wanted it. He hoped for it."

She nods. "Me, too." She hopes he is well, that other Doctor. From now on she will not think of him except as a deeply loved memory. Her future is right here beside her, and it's one she's going to seize.

"You still haven't told me where we're going, you know."

"Oh, I thought we'd go traveling."

"Yeah. Where?"

"I mean, I've been on this world for months and months, and I don't know what's happening or what's out there!"

"We've been a bit busy," she says.

"And there's no telling when the TARDIS will be operational," he continues.

"Right."

"Shall we tour the world?"

"The world?" she says in surprise, startled into laughter. "All of it?"

"Well, no. Not all of it. Not right now, obviously. But I think we can make a good start."

"Where are we going first?" Rose asks.

He takes his eyes off the road and smiles at her. She smiles back.

"Further than we've ever gone before."


End file.
